Tuesday, February 21, 2012

University of Texas Affirmative Action Grant -- Preliminary Thoughts

Today the SCOTUS granted certiorari in Fisher v. University of Texas, which poses the following main questions:

1) Whether the bump that UT gives in admissions to minority candidates in order to maintain a "critical mass" in particular fields survives scrutiny under Grutter v. Bollinger;

and

2) If so, whether Grutter v. Bollinger ought to be overruled.

In addition, there is a threshold question of whether the plaintiff has standing (or the case is moot) in light of the fact that after she lost in the lower courts she enrolled in LSU, from which she has now graduated. Herewith, a few very quick reactions.

A) I strongly suspect the Court will reach the merits. Given the glacial pace of litigation, it will not be that unusual for a challenge to university admissions to remain in the courts even after the original plaintiff has graduated. Thus, one can readily envision the majority invoking the capable-of-repetition-yet-evading-review exception to mootness. We know that at least four Justices voted for cert notwithstanding the potential standing/mootness objection, which was clearly argued as a reason for denying cert.

B) The case could make new law notwithstanding the fact that Justice Kagan is recused if Justice Kennedy joins the conservatives to form a five-Justice majority for overruling Grutter. Although I think the odds are substantial that there will be five votes to reverse in the particular case and rule for the plaintiff, I think it unlikely that the Court would take this opportunity to overrule Grutter. Justice Kennedy pretty much accepted Grutter in the Parents Involved case.

C) But to say that Justice Kennedy accepts Grutter is not to say that he will apply it the way that we might have expected Justice O'Connor to apply the case. Both Justice Kennedy's own Grutter dissent and the Grutter dissent by CJ Rehnquist that Justice Kennedy joined expressed grave skepticism of the claim that the University of Michigan Law School was actually seeking a critical mass. And they had a point. Here is the late Chief Justice's core analysis with regard to critical mass:

From 1995 through 2000, the Law School admitted between 1,130 and 1,310 students. Of those, between 13 and 19 were Native American, between 91 and 108 were African-Americans, and between 47 and 56 were Hispanic. If the Law School is admitting between 91 and 108 African-Americans in order to achieve “critical mass,” thereby preventing African-American students from feeling “isolated or like spokespersons for their race,” one would think that a number of the same order of magnitude would be necessary to accomplish the same purpose for Hispanics and Native Americans.

The actual admissions numbers, CJ Rehnquist (joined by Justice Kennedy) concluded, reflected impermissible "racial balancing." I would not be surprised if Justice Kennedy were to parse the record carefully to find evidence that the University of Texas likewise is using critical mass as a cover for racial balancing.

D) The case will be argued next Term, probably in October, possibly in November. Either way, it will thus make affirmative action highly salient right during the peak of the general election campaign. The Obama Administration will be under pressure to file a brief, but even if the SG does not file, we can expect the Republican nominee to use the case to drum up support among white middle and working-class voters, who tend to strongly dislike race-based affirmative action. So the timing of the cert grant is especially good for the eventual Republican nominee and perhaps for Republican candidates more generally.

Finally, don't blame the messenger! From my perspective, the foregoing is all pretty dispiriting. I'm just calling it as I see it, rather than spinning.

I am glad to see racial discrimination--albeit done with the best of intents-- will be over by June, 2013 thanks to Justices Kennedy and Alito. There is only one constitutional and fair way to assure racial diversity in colleges and graduate schools--for every level of government to spend whatever it takes, no matter how much the federal, state and locval governments have to tax, in order that black kids in Newark, white kids in Appalaicha, Hispanic kids in San Antonio, and Native American kids in South Dakota get the same terrific education that my kids got in Scarsdale.

the right wing court's decision to revisit this issue during a presidential election is an overt political act. Any decision in favor of reversing Grutter will be seen for what it is a political decision by an unelected branch. In addition, the court's decision to revisit this issue and likely reversal less than 10 years from its Grutter decision demonstrates that this court is an activist court with no respect to precedent and thus the court itself is no longer entittled to any respect and its decisions should be disregarded by the other branches and the American people.

the ideal wing court's choice to revisit this make any difference while in a presidential election is most undoubtedly an overt political act. Any choice in favor of reversing Grutter are planning being witnessed for what it really genuinely is recognized as being a political choice by an unelected branch. In addition, the court's choice to revisit this make any difference and almost certainlyWorld Of Warcraft Buy Gold reversal much under 10 many years from its Grutter choice demonstrates that this courtroom is most undoubtedly an activist courtroom without having respect to precedent and as a consequence the courtroom by itself Runescape Goldis no lengthier entittled to any respect and its choices need being disregarded by means of another branches too as united states people.

2013 thanks to Justices Kennedy and Alito. There is only one constitutional and fair way to assure racial diversity in colleges and graduate schools--for every level of government to spend whatever it takes, no matter how much the federal, state and locval governments have to tax, in order that black kids in Newark, white kids in Appalaicha, Hispanic kids in San Antonio, and Native American kids in South Dakota get the same terrific education that my kids got in Scarsdalebuywindows7keys.comWindows 7 professional product KeyWindows 7 ultimate activation Key